


The Fall of the Jedi

by Scripsi90



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, As true to the Star Warsy Tone as I can Write, Battle of Exegol, Ben Solo Deserved Better, Bendemption, Dark Rey (Star Wars), Empress Rey, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Dyad (Star Wars), Jedi Ben Solo, Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Reylo - Freeform, Star Wars canonverse - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26146450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scripsi90/pseuds/Scripsi90
Summary: "He was too late.He knew the moment he set foot in the old Sith Citadel that Rey could sense him as he could sense her—but she felt different somehow. At first, he’d hoped he was mistaken, that the change was a result of his transition to the light.But no. No, he was far too familiar with the dark power and passion and unrestrained emotion that swirled around Rey’s force signature to be fooled.She had turned."AKA Ben Solo arrives at Exegol too late to save Rey from turning to the dark side.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	The Fall of the Jedi

He was too late.

  
From the moment he’d flung his old saber into the angry seas of Kef Bir, he’d done everything he could to make it to Exegol in time, scavenging the Death Star ruins for something, anything, to get him off that rock. He’d found an old scout-class TIE fighter, repaired her as quickly as he could, and flown toward the heat of battle with determination and his father’s heart to fuel him.

  
All in vain.

  
He knew the moment he set foot in the old Sith Citadel that Rey could sense him as he could sense her—but she felt different somehow. At first, he’d hoped he was mistaken, that the change was a result of his transition to the light.

  
But no. No, he was far too familiar with the dark power and passion and unrestrained emotion that swirled around Rey’s force signature to be fooled.

  
She had turned.

  
Desperation and disbelief steered him through the ruins. He couldn’t leave until he saw with his eyes what he already knew to be true through the Force. Perhaps it was foolish—charging into a dangerous situation when one knew there was no hope. But it was exactly the kind of thing that Han Solo would have done, and for the first time in a very, very long time, Ben thought that was a good thing.

  
His blaster and the Force got him through the Sith cultists and the Knights of Ren, and he sprinted toward the throne room without hesitating or preparing himself for what he would see when he got there. As soon as he entered the room, he stopped short.

  
There she was—covered in sweat and pain. She turned and blinked at him, genuine surprise flashing across her face even though he knew she’d sensed him coming. He was struck by how different her presence in the Force felt from just a little while when they’d battled on the Death Star ruins.

  
She felt—cold.

  
The first pangs of grief threatened to overtake him—but not yet. Not yet. He still had hope.

  
Before her was the broken form of Darth Sidious, even more decrepit than when he’d been there for his first visit not long ago. His yellow eyes flashed at the recognition that Ben Solo had returned, and something between a grimace and a wicked grin stretched across his face.

  
“Young Solo… good,” the old man croaked. “Here, at the end of it all, to see what you could have been.”

  
Ben ignored him.

  
“Rey,” he said, hardly knowing how to begin. On instinct, he held out his hand to her and the situational irony was not lost on him. “Rey, whatever he’s told you…don’t listen. We can leave. Now. Together.”

  
Her eyes shot from his hand to his eyes, and he could feel the conflict boiling within her. The pull to the darkness was strong. He watched as a single tear carved a trail down her dirty, bloody cheek.

  
“I…can’t.”

  
“Yes,” he insisted. “You can. I’ll help you.”

  
“I—I want to be free of this pain!” she shouted with sudden fury. She switched on the saber in her hand, and it blazed bright blue. “I’m—I’m so tired. Ben…”

  
“Don’t do this,” he said to her, knowing fully the futility of his words. He knew the power of the dark side. He could practically see its tendrils begin to wrap around her. But he had to try. He’d been too weak before, too blinded by his own pain to break free.

  
But Rey was stronger than he was. If anyone could resist the darkness, she could.

  
“Rey… Don’t go this way,” he pleaded, his voice cracking.

  
Tears began to fall freely from her eyes, and she shook her head. “No Ben. You were right. You were right all along. It’s time to stop being afraid of who I am. I have to let the past die.”

  
“That’s not you talking!” he said desperately. “It’s the voice in your head, Rey! Palpatine’s voice! You know it is.”

  
She pursed her lips together. It was almost as though she’d gone deaf, like she couldn’t even hear him trying to reason with her. “I know what I have to do,” she said, sounding almost droid-like.

  
He took a step back. He could sense the unavoidable climax to this interaction. Deep down, when he’d been immersed in darkness himself, he’d seen that this was always where she would go. He’d seen the vision of her with him on the Sith throne… He just never imagined he’d be on the other side, watching her fall, and grieving.

  
“I’m sorry, Ben,” she said.

  
He sensed her intent a half second before she acted, and so did the emperor. Palpatine exhaled one triumphant, disturbing laugh before Rey’s lightsaber impaled him through the heart.

  
That moment would have been far easier to bear if he wasn’t so attuned to her feelings. The grief and anger at the fate of her parents rolled off her in waves as she drew her saber back… and struck the emperor’s lifeless form again. Then, she was lost in a fit of madness, completely consumed by her emotions, as she hacked away at the corpse, roaring in fury all the time.

  
She was terrifying.

  
Finally, for good measure, she lifted her hand and screamed as purple lighting shot from her open palm and consumed the emperor’s body, disintegrating what little was left of him.

  
The smoke cleared.

  
She lowered her hand, chest heaving. Her turn was complete, she’d given herself over to the darkness.

  
It was done.

  
She turned to him, and he didn’t miss the flash of yellow that glinted in her eyes as she looked at him. She spun the lightsaber in her hand effortlessly and stepped toward him. He held his ground, refusing to break eye contact. She could become as dark and as Sith as she wanted; she couldn’t scare him. Not when he knew her the way he did.

  
“Last chance, Ben,” she said with an uncharacteristically arrogant tilt of her head. “Be who you were meant to be! We can take the throne. Bring a new order to the galaxy. Together.”

  
Could one glare lovingly? Because that’s what he felt as he looked back at her—anger and disappointment and above all, violent, relentless, omnipotent love.

  
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “Not going to happen.”

  
She laughed cruelly. “What? You think you’re going to resist me? With what? Your blaster?”

  
“Actually, I had something else in mind,” he said. The fingers of his right hand twitched.

  
As soon as he willed it, the saber in her hand flew to his. His sense had been right. The saber, one he’d never seen before in his life, had belonged to Leia, Jedi padawan, his mother. And it responded to him.

  
Anger flashed across Rey’s beautiful face. Her hand flew to her waist and drew another saber, igniting it. How many of these did she have stashed on her?

  
With violent fervor, she swung her blade down at him, and he met hers with his, the sabers sparking blue-on-blue. The darkness was strengthening her, pouring more power into her by the moment. He pulled back and she advanced on him, striking again and again with increased speed.

  
This would be a lot easier if he weren’t so new to the light. But his uncle’s instructions came back to him quickly… _You’ll know when you’re calm, at peace_ …

  
Peace and calm had never been is strong suit, but he had to start somewhere. He took a deep breath and slowed his mind even as his body responded to Rey’s furious strikes. He thought of his father, his mother, their sacrifice. He thought of Rey in a little hut next to a fire, telling him he wasn’t alone.

  
And he felt the Force course through him with surprising strength. The light felt good—like coming home. With renewed focus, he swung his mother’s saber toward Rey, pushing her back. Their blades met in a fiery, blue cross as he pushed against her, using his superior height and weight to force her backward.

  
Their faces were inches apart now as rage spilled from her eyes, and he was struck with a memory of snow in a crumpling forest where he’d first witnessed her power in the Force. If he could go back to that moment, he’d beg her to end him, to not show him the mercy he didn’t deserve. That way neither of them would be here now. But then again, if she hadn’t shown him mercy, she wouldn’t be the Rey he knew.

  
“So this is it?” she spat at him over the glow of their blades. “After all you said, after all your chasing, after I’ve done everything you wanted… you’re not going to join me?”

  
“Not like this,” he said, shaking his head. “My mother gave her life protecting you and saving me. Is this what she would want for you?”

  
He saw Rey’s face twitch for a moment, then harden. “Your mother was a fool… like her son,” she said with a snarl.

  
“You’re lying to yourself, Rey. You’re forgetting that I know you.”

  
“No one does!” she yelled.

  
“But I do,” he whispered back.

  
And with that he shoved her backward, and she fell with a thud onto the seat of the Sith throne. Before she could react, he lifted a hand and performed a trick he’d only used once before, and caused the ceiling to rain down on both of them.

  
And then everything was dark.


End file.
